Nut-holding wrench



March 29, 1955 R. M. MARTORELLA 2,704,954

NUT-HOLDING WRENCH Filed Feb. 16, 1954 INVENTOR.

Raymond M Mar/orel/a BY cum WW 3% United States Patent NUT-HOLDINGWRENCH Raymond M. Martorella, Millbrae, Calif.

Application February 16, 1954, Serial No. 410,687

2 Claims. (Cl. 81-112) This invention relates to a nut wrench and moreparticularly to a wrench having a nut grip therein.

An object of this invention is to provide an improved wrench havingoutwardly biased springy arms mounted in axially extending grooves inthe surface of a handle and moved inwardly by an axially slidable sleeveto grip and hold the nut during removal and application, said wrenchalso being capable of receiving and retaining a wing nut for applicationto or removal of a bolt.

A further object of this invention is to provide a nut wrench which issimple and efficient in construction, and durable and lasting in use.

These together with other objects and advantages which will becomesubsequently apparent reside in the details of construction andoperation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, whereinlike numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the improved nut wrench forming thesubject of this invention;

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken substantially along the section line22 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is an end elevational view from the socket end of the wrenchwith the retaining sleeve in retracted position;

Figure 4 is an end elevational view from the socket end showing theretaining arms engaging a square nut disposed within the socket; and

Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 4 but showing a hexagonal nutdisposed within the socket.

Referring now more particularly to the accompanying drawings, it will beseen that the improved nut wrench forming the subject of this inventionincludes, a handle having a socket assembly 12 secured to one endthereof. The handle 10 is provided with a recess 14 extendinglongitudinally thereof and opening from one end of the handle.

The socket assembly 12 comprises an elongated pin 16 which is adapted tobe forced within the recess 14 and to be rigidly maintained therein. Thepin 16 is rectangular in cross section so as to be non-rotatably mountedwithin the handle 10. A portion 18 of the pin 16 extends beyond the endof the handle 10. A socket 20 having an aperture 22 is adapted to bereceived on the portion 18 of pin 16. A bushing 24 is disposed on theportion 18 of the pin 16 for frictionally engaging the inner peripheryof aperture 22 to retain the socket 20 in position on the pin 16. Thesocket 20 is provided at its outer end with a circular recess 26 openingon the outer end of the socket. The extreme outer end of the recess 26may be flared outwardly as at 28 so as to more easily allow theinsertion of a nut within the recess 26. Extending from the outer end ofthe socket 20 at diametrically opposite points on the sides thereof area pair of slots 30. The slots 30 permit the insertion of a wing nut 32,indicated in dotted lines in Figure 2, within the recess 26.

The end of handle 10 adjacent the socket 20 is provided with a reducedportion 34 which receives thereon a ring 36 having an outer diameterequal to the diameter of the handle 10. This ring 34 prevents thespreading of the handle 10 due to the stresses imparted thereto when anut is being tightened on a bolt.

Means are provided for retaining nuts within the recess 26. This meanscomprises cutout portions 38 dis- Ice posed at diametrically oppositepoints on the handle 10 and in alignment with the slots 30. The cutoutportions 38 converge inwardly away from the end of the handle 10 havingthe socket 20 mounted thereon. Resilient arms 40, formed of springsteel, or the like, are secured at one end to the deepest portion ofcutouts 38. The arms 40 extend toward the socket 20 and are providedwith finger portions 42 extending inwardly toward each other and whichare adapted to be moved into the slots 30 for gripping a nut placed inthe recess 26. The handle 10 is provided with a transverse aperture 44extending between the deepest portions of the cutouts 38 and the pin 16is provided with an aperture 46 in alignment with the apertures 44. Abolt 48 having a head 50 is adapted to extend through the fixed ends ofthe arms 40 and through the apertures 44 and 46. A nut 52 is threadedlyengaged on the end of bolt 38 opposite the head 50 to retain the arms 40in position on the handle 10. Suitable washers 54 may be disposedbetween the head 50 and one arm 40 and between the nut 52 and the otherarm 40. Means are provided for urging the finger portions 42 into theslots 30. This means comprises a sleeve 56 slidably disposed on thehandle 10. When the sleeve 56 is urged toward the socket 20, engagementof the end of the sleeve 56 with the arms 40 will cause the arms 40 tobe moved against the ring 36 and consequently the portions 42 will beurged into the slots 30. In order to limit the movement of sleeve 56 ina direction away from the socket 20 a ring 58 is fixedly secured to thehandle 10 at a point remote from the socket 20. Suitable pins 60 extendthrough the ring 58 and into the handle 10 for locking the ring 58 inposition.

As seen in Figure 4, the nut wrench forming the subject of thisinvention can be used in conjunction with a square nut 62 and as seen inFigure 5 the wrench can be used in conjunction with a hexagonal nut 64.

From the foregoing, the construction and operation of the device will bereadily understood and further explanation is believed to beunnecessary. However, since numerous modifications and changes willreadily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limitthe invention to the exact construction shown and described, andaccordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resortedto, falling within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A nut wrench comprising a handle, a socket secured to one end of saidhandle and opening in the direction away from said handle, said socketbeing provided with a pair of diametrically opposed slots in the sidesthereof, said slots being open in the same direction as said socket, andmeans mounted on said handle for movement into and out of said slots forengaging a nut disposed in said socket, said means including a pair ofresilient arms secured to said handle and extending therefrom inoverlying relationship to said slots, the free ends of said arms beingprovided with portions extending toward each other for movement into andout of said slots, said handle being provided with a sleeve slidablymounted thereon for movement therealong to a position overlying saidinner arms to force the free ends thereof into said slots, said handlebeing provided with a pair of diametrically opposed cutout portionsadjacent the end having the socket secured thereto, said resilient armshaving one end secured in said cutout portions, said cutout portionstapering outwardly toward said one end of said handle.

2. The combination of claim 1 wherein said handle is provided with astop thereon for limiting the movement of said sleeve in a directionaway from said socket.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,412,275 Klopovic Dec. 10, 1946 2,611,289 Frank Sept. 23, 1952 FOREIGNPATENTS 217,581 Great Britain Mar. 5, 1925

